A lot of calories may come from what you drink. Some beverages offer nutrient benefits and others don’t. Understanding the good and bad points of what you drink is as important as doing the same for what you eat.

One thing some of us heart patients grump about the most is having to change our diets. Give me eight new medications to take? No problem. Try to teach me new ways to manage stress? Sketchy. But eliminate my best friends, salt and fat, from my diet? No way!

Greg Weglowski thought he was invincible. After all, he led an active life in law enforcement, ran marathons, sky dived and volunteered for the first Persian Gulf War. "I’ve always been a bit extreme," the Detroit native admitted. His family’s heart history was no exception.

For some of us, the process of selecting the best produce, storing it for freshness and longevity and preparing it in ways that get the most nutritional bang for our buck may seem challenging or complicated. Here are some tips to help you choose, store and prepare the good stuff.

Middle-age women who are physically active a few times a week have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke and blood clots than inactive women, according to research in the American Heart Association journal Circulation.

If you have diabetes, you know the importance of a healthy diet in managing the disease. Making healthy choices in what you eat is essential, but sometimes it’s hard to be sure if you’re eating the right foods. Choose foods that are low in saturated and trans fats, sodium and added sugars. This list can help you decide what you should eat and what you should limit.

It may surprise you to know that cholesterol itself isn’t bad. It is a soft, fat-like substance that your body produces naturally. It helps make new cells, some hormones and substances that help digest foods.
Cholesterol is part of a healthy body. But having too much of it in your blood can be a problem. Too much cholesterol contributes to a higher risk for cardiovascular diseases, such as heart disease and stroke.

Resources For Patients & Families

Answers by Heart is a series of downloadable patient information sheets presented in a question-and-answer format that's brief, easy to follow and easy to read. They also provide room for you to write down questions to ask your doctor.

The term 'heart disease' is often used - but there are many types of disease that come under this category. This companion piece to "The Heart of a Woman" in our Spring 2015 issue provides a list of some of the most common conditions in the heart disease spectrum.

My Life Check® was designed by the American Heart Association with the goal of improved health for all Americans. Any person can make these changes and even modest improvements to your health will make a big difference. Start with one or two. Know your heart score.

The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association has created an online community called the Support Network. The goal is to connect people living with heart disease and stroke with others who are going through similar journeys.

For over 20 years Stroke Connection has been the award-winning voice of support, information and inspiration for a vast community of stroke survivors and their families. Now offered exclusively as a digital publication, it's available virtually everywhere.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the last year, e-cigarette use has tripled among middle and high school students, surpassing traditional cigarettes and every other tobacco product.

Burgers, fries, hot dogs, mac and cheese - these school cafeteria favorites seem to always be on the menu. If you can't send your little ones off to school with a health homemade lunch, provide them with guidance on making healthy choices as they're moving through the lunch line.

Cooking at home can be a daunting task, but a rewarding one for your diet and lifestyle (and your wallet). Making small changes in your diet is important to your heart health. Here are simple, healthy and affordable recipes and cooking tips.